Incredible Egg Art Will Awe You

Incredible Egg Art Will Awe You

In Bucovina, a northern region of Romania, the Easter tradition of dyeing eggs has been elevated into an art form. Filmmaker Titus-Armand Napirlica along with production company Jungles in Paris profiles the beautiful work of Elena Craciunescu in The Egg Painter. Craciunescu is one of a dozen egg painters in the small village of Ciocăneşti. The town's buildings feature elaborate motifs, which are reflected in the decorated eggs. Using a process similar to batik, Craciunescu uses an iron-tipped stick, called a kishitze, to apply a wax design onto a clean and drained egg. She then dips the egg into a dye bath and repeats the process of "painting" with wax and submerging it into other dyes to create a layering effect. The wax acts as a shield between each dye bath, allowing the egg to retain color from the previous dip. In the final stage the egg is held up to a heat source that melts the wax and leaves behind a stunning pattern.

The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's mission of inspiring people to care about the planet. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of the National Geographic Society.

Incredible Egg Art Will Awe You

In Bucovina, a northern region of Romania, the Easter tradition of dyeing eggs has been elevated into an art form. Filmmaker Titus-Armand Napirlica along with production company Jungles in Paris profiles the beautiful work of Elena Craciunescu in The Egg Painter. Craciunescu is one of a dozen egg painters in the small village of Ciocăneşti. The town's buildings feature elaborate motifs, which are reflected in the decorated eggs. Using a process similar to batik, Craciunescu uses an iron-tipped stick, called a kishitze, to apply a wax design onto a clean and drained egg. She then dips the egg into a dye bath and repeats the process of "painting" with wax and submerging it into other dyes to create a layering effect. The wax acts as a shield between each dye bath, allowing the egg to retain color from the previous dip. In the final stage the egg is held up to a heat source that melts the wax and leaves behind a stunning pattern.

The Short Film Showcase spotlights exceptional short videos created by filmmakers from around the web and selected by National Geographic editors. We look for work that affirms National Geographic's mission of inspiring people to care about the planet. The filmmakers created the content presented, and the opinions expressed are their own, not those of the National Geographic Society.